Locking device for motor-cars, automobiles, and the like.



PATENTEDZTAN. 16, 1906.

I I. W. HEYSINGER.

LOOKING DEVICE FOR MOTOR CARS, AUTOMOBILES, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21 1905.

FFI CE.

lSAAC W. HEYSINGER, F PHlLADELPHlA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LOCKENG DEVECE FOR MQTGR GAHS, tti'ft'l l flQBlLESs AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1906. I

Application filed August 21,19 O5. Serial life. 275065.

To all whom it in/(0y concern:

Be it known that 1 IsAAo W. HnrsINeER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia 5 and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lockim Devices for Motor-Cars, Automobiles, an Like, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to locking devices for wheeled vehicles, and especially for those in which the wheels are connected with the axle,

as in motor-cars, automobiles, and similar wheeled vehicles, in which my locking dcvices are so constructed and adapted and applied as to permit the said vehicle to be freely moved. about on its supporting-w]iccls to and fro, backward or forward, as when no such locking device is used, but to a hmitcd distance only, after which said locking device operates to arrest the motion of said wheel or wheels to which it is connected, and

so prevents the. said vchiclc from further travel, and in which said locking device is detachably connected with a gear or the like upon the wheel or wheels of said vehicle or with parts moving therewith, so that when 3 thus detached the said vehicle may be opcrsated to any distance as though such locking devices were not employed. ft is necessary for such vehicles when temporarily stored in barns or elsewhere that they should be opcrable, so as to be run about freely to movc them from one part of said building to another or to test the working of the machinery whenin motion, or in case of fire to remove the machinefrom thebuild ing, so that a mere fixed lock rendering the wheels of the machine immovable would be impossible to be used under the above described eircunistancos. Hencel provide a locking device which I call a freeway-lock and which will enable the machine to be freely run about to the extent of the movement of a slowlynnoving part of said locking device, but which will prevent the machine from being used as a vehicle by unwarranted parties during the absence of the owner or under other analogous circumstances or when left standing on the street or highway.

My invention consists, essentially, of two detaehably-connccted operative units, the

5 5 first unit permanently secured to and opereted conjoint-1y with and by the rotation of the i one or more of the supporting-whcels of the vehicle, preferably the driving-wheel, and the second unit constructed and adapted to be dctachably put into operative connection. with the said first unit, said second unit provided'with a movenrent-reducing device to slowly move a connected part thereof toward afixed abutment which when reached and impinged upon will arrcst the f urthcr movement of the connected,parts of said second unit through its connection with said first unit and arrest the further rotation of thc wheel or wheels of said vehiclcs. The said second unit and said first unit are made detachable from each other, so that when thus detached the first unit will operate indefinitely and without affecting or being affected by the second unit, and also in means whereby thc said units may be permanently lockcd apart from or into connection with each other, as dcsircd.

My invention further consists in infcrpos ing betwcen the slowlyanoving part ofxsaitl second unit and its abutment a connecting levcr or piece adapted to bc struck by the ad vance of said slowly-moving part before reaching said fixed abutment, whereby a friction-clamp may be opcratcd againsl lhc whccl mechanism of said first unit, sons to slow down and finally arrest the rotation of the same.

My invention further consists of the construction and adaptation to each other of a toothed whccl rigidly connected with and traveling with a su )porting-whccl of said Yohicle and a sccolld toothed \vhccl supported upon an adjustable carricr-framc and adapted to bc geared with said first toothed whccl and locked fast in said geared position ordis connectraf by moving said carrier from said first toofhcd wheel, as desired, said second toothed whccl (mnstructed to opcratc a nuland-screw arrangement by means of which a slow movement is communicahal to the latter, and said nut screwed along toward a fixed abutment upon the frame of said arrier and with or without the ll ll(l] ),()sltl( ll of a lover or like device between said nut and said abutment to compress a brake or other movable part against said wheel of said vehicle or a part connected therewith, and so arrest the rotation of the same; and my invcntion also consists in the construction, :is an article of manufacture, of a suitable frame preferably adapted to be pivoted one end to a fixed part of said vehicle and fixed parts 4.0 and 4 free to be swun laterally from side to side at its opposite endin suitable supports on said vehicle and to be locked in position at one 1 side of its limit of movement or the other, and thereby operatively connected with or detached from a gear wheel or the like connected with one of the wheels of said vehicle, I said article of manufacture constructed and adapted for any of the various styles of mo 1 tor-carsv auttnnobiles, or the like already in use and in such shape as to be applied to such n'iachine by any skilled mechanic wit-hout the exercise of further invention; and my invention also consists of the special construction and adaptation of the different parts of my device, substantially as set forth in this specification or illustrated in the drawings, or with such obvious modifications as special circumstances may require, and which would be made by any skilled mechanic without the exercise of further invention.

Referring to the drawings, plan view from above of a ninggear of a mot ing my invention,

Figure 1 is a part of the runorcar or the like embodymy locking device being shown in full lines as connected at 15 and 16 with the vehicle-wheel 2 4 5 and in the dotted outlines as detached therefrom. r Fi 2 is cctional view along the dotted line a a, r J. of the nut-supportin frame with the rotating screw in. the midi le, sectionalized, and the slowly-moving nut 22 (shown in end view.) Fig. 3 is a similar cross-stion taken along the dotted line b b of Fig. 1 near the abutn'ient 32 and showin the lever or separately-movable piece whic operates the brake 11 of Fig. 1. fig. 4 is a lon"tudi nal vertical section of the locking evice, taken. along the dotted line 0 c of Fig. 1 and pivotally connected at one end with the 1 of the vehicle and strad ing at the opposite or free end the axle 1 and the fixed tubular and supporting casing of the axle of the rear wheels, said locking device adapted to be slipped to and fro along said to connect or disconnect the same from the bevel gear-wheel 15, as shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken alon the dotted line (Z of Fig. 1, showing the brake with its foot-stirrup link 12 and the end of the lever or movable piece 27, which is struck and moved by the nut 22, impinging against the lever 25, as shown in jg. 4. A

The numbering of the different parts in all the figures is uniform.

Referring to the drawings, 5 represents the tire of one of the wheels of a motor-car, 4 be- Y ing the body of the wheel and 2 the center where it is secured to turn with the axle 1. (See Fig. 5.} The axle extends to the driv- 1' ing-gear 7 and $5 in the middle of the axle, be ing contii'iued. beyond, as shown, the com pens-sting gear for the two halves of the axle l l and 5, and the brake-cylinder not being represented. The tubular axlecovering which supports the axle and its attached wheels is represented at 6, Figs. 1, 4, is shown at- 10, being hollow and open inward and with the tubular axle-casing extending through the same to relieve the strain on t 1e axle. Only one of the driving-wheels 2 4 5 is represented, the opposite one not being required to illus trate my invention. 40 represents a fixed part of the machine in front of the drivingaxle, preferably a part of or connected with the front axle, and 41 is an extension thereof, to which my locking device is shown as pivoted at its front end. The connections between the front and rear axles and the body of the machine are not shown, being so well known in the arts to which such machines pertain. Suffice it to say that the part 40 and the tubular casing 6 are partsof a single composite structure on which the body or superstructure of the vehicle is supported. he reference to my invention will now be clearly understood. Pivoted at its forward end 28 to the extension 4110f the fixed forward part ofthe vehicle 40, so as to be capable of being oscillated laterally at its rear end 21 along thertubular casing 6 of the driving-axle 1, extends a lonitudinal frame and its attached arts. This l r'ame, as shown in thefigures, is etachable that is to say, by taking the runnin -gear"'of-v the Vehicle apart the front/ end at t e oscillating frame can be removed from or pivoted to the part 41 and the rear end slipped oil from or over the tubular axle-casing 6 at its adjacent end and the axle and wheels then put into place; but when applied as shown in the drawings it cannot readily be detached unless by taking the, machine apart. A toothed bevel-wheel 15 is rigidly secured so as to operate with the rotation of the driving wheel and axle. As I show it it forms an annular rim to the brake-cylinder 10, the axle and supporting-casing extending through within. S0 constructed this bevel wheel must rotate with the rear axle and driving wheel and cannot be loosened therefrom.

The oscillating frame consists of the following coo eratin elements. There are two longitudinal sir e bars 20 20, Figs. 1 and 2, betweentwhich extends a long screw 18, V

the end nextthe pivot end of the frame being jourha'led in a very firm head 32, which terminates the bars 20 20 and connects them in one structure. Beyond these parts is the pivot connection 28 42, by which the frame is attached to the fixed part of the vehicle 41 40. As shown in the figures, in order to prevent this pivot-bearing from being disconnected I provide bent downward and then longitudinally forward a pin 28, which is thus buttoned into the hole 42 of the fixed part 41 when the frame has been ti ped up behind to permit the insertion, and t is joint the frame are also joined at their rear end in front of the axle, preferably by casting the frame in a single structure, and at this unction the'long screw 18 is journaled at this end. Secured to the screw so as to always rotate with it is the toothed bevel-wheel 10, which is at right angles to the other bevel- Wheel and is ada )ted to have its toothed gear mesh in with t e opposite one. At the 'rear end of the frame there is a transverse 0 ening lar e enough to admit the casing of t e rear a e without play up or down, but enlarged from front to rear, so as to pern'ii't the frame to be oscillated laterally along the tubular axlecasing on its pivot 28, and from the rear of the frame projects a convenient handle 21, by means oi" which the frame can be oscillated from side to side. At this portion of the length. of the said tubular axlccasing 6 (see Fig. 4) extends to the rear a plate'33, firmly secured to the said casing, and in this plate is'a hole 23, adapted to receive the hasp of a padlock 24. (See Fig. i.) This hole is so located that when the frame has been swung at its rear end toward the bevel-Wheel 15 and when the teeth of the two bevel-wheels have meshed in with each other then a )adlock of any special construction can be ocked into this hole, when it will be impossible to separate the gear, and, corn versely, when the rear end of the frame has been swung in an opposite direction the padlock inserted in the same hole will prevpnt the bevel gear-wheels from approacing eil'r-h other and the movements of the vehicle will not afiect or be allected by the locking de vice of which the frame is a part. The lccth of the bevel-wheels being meshed in with each other, described, as the vehicle is moved forward or backward, whether merely pushed by hand or operated by the motive power of the car, the longitudinal screw ill) will be rotated on its axis coincidcntally wil h the rotation of its actuatingwhccl 16, which in turn is operated by the rotation of the bevel-wheel l5, necessitated by the rotation of the wheels 2 4 5. Along this screw to. travels an internally-scrcw-lihreaderl nut 22, (see Figs. 2 and 4,) and to prevent this nut from being rotated it is provided with eh-l'l cars 29 29, (soc Fig. 2,) so that the turning ol the screw 18 will move the nut 22 l'orward or backward along the frame 20. if the screw 18 has thirty turns and the wheel 5 has a circumference of ten feet and if the nut 22 be in themiddle of the screw 1-8 at starting, then the Vehicle can be movedl'orward li'l'ty yards or moved backward fil'ty yards with out any interference, the nut 22 merely travclin to or fro along the screw l8, and the Vehicle can be alti'irnately moved backward and forward to the extent of one hundred yards all day Without interference; but this travel be continued farther than this limit then the nut 22, ii the car be moving forward, will be carried against the solid abutment 32 and. its motion will he suddenly arrested and with it the advance of the ve hicle. ll much speed has been acquired, the sudden shock may be sullicient to tear the bearings to pieces or strip the tires or otherwisepermanently injure the machine; but certainly no umvarranted person attempting to use the car could proceed farther in his atten'ipt, and certainly no owner could lail to see that his car had been tampered with and seriously injured. This fact alone would preventtampering with. a machine to which this locking device was applied; but to prevent such sudden stoppage and shock .i apply a special device, which consists, essentially, of a lover or like device, against which the traveling nut 22 impinges beforeithasstruekthealmtmcnt32. 'lhenut will thus carry the tree arm of this levcrforward. 'lhis lever is shown at 27, Fig. 3, and also in Fig. i. it is pivoted to a lateral extension 5%] ol' the 'l'rame 2U 20 at 26, the free end 27 extending across the frame into the l'ront crotch H ol the brahc-band ,1] l], which is ordinarily operated by a l'ool lever on the machine through a stirrup 12, Figs. 1

and 5.

in this construclion no special spring or li'iclion or braking device is required to give a gradual stoppage to (he wheels, the ordinary lH'ithU on one side of the car being utilized, the stirrup ol' the loot-brake and the lc yer ol' the lUChlHg device lying in contact, one superposed .upon the other, as shown; but, if desired, l use a special braking or spring or l'riel ion device specially attached to the lockiug device ilscll' and operating directly or indirectly upon the running'gcar ol'the veliiclc.

The handle 2i, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, projecls over lhc axle to the roar; bul il it be desired to operate the oscillal ing l'ranlc from the side then i indicate by the arrow. 2] in Fig. 3 how this handle may be exlcndcd across so as to project from the car lalcr-- ally and be locked upon a side bar ol' the car instead of upon an extension ol' the casing of the rear axle. ill course il may project in any direction or position desired, and the specilic construction will depend in any case upon the special sort of motor-car or other vehicle lo which it is to be applied. For such various applications the figures of the drawings may be described as diugramnurtic, but clearly presenting the structure as a whole for such a machine as l illustrate.

it will occur that the nul 22 may somclimes sland near one end ol the screw 18, so

' n of movements rcmaii'is i and backward, yet not 3i, given in one oi these dircc-.

lhol. whilev the salve enough learious forms wheel 43, Figs. 1 and 4, with its shaft tions. I therefore prefer to add a little spur- 36 and crank 39, and this en ages with the little spur-wheel 44 behind t the screw 18. By this crank the and 22 may be operated, while the frame is out of contact with the spur-wheel 15 of the driving-gear, and the nut 22 run .up to any desired point along the screw; but when the frame is locked up in connection no tampering can be done of course.

it is impossible to show or describe in a single drawing and description the multifawhich this locking device must assume to be adapted to the many forms, shapes, and sizes of motor-cars in use; but the alterations required are simply mechanical when the present drawings and description are clearly understood. The brakeband may clamp upward instead of forward, and the screw 18 may be perpendicular, a double arrangement for the two drivingwheels may be used for a duplicate locking device instead of a work with' a slide movement instead of on a pivot and may extend along the rear axle inte bevel-wheel 16 of I parts 16,18, 5

l t l l l l l l l l l l sin le one the frame may stead of at right angles thereto, and the-padlock may be replaced by a lock attached to the machine, either key or combination. So the slow nut movement may be along the arc of a circle instead of in a right line. the bevel-gears may be replaced by worm and spur gears, and other modifications may be made at will and all without departing from the principles, construction, and application of the invention as herein set forth.

Those looking devices may be permanently built in with the machine or may be niade up separately for each special motorcar in the market and sold separately, so as to be applied by any skilled mechanic to the machines already in use. So, also, in vehicles like buggies or wagons, in which the wheels have hollow hubs and revolve on projecting spindles, each \\'l|('('l on its own account, the bevel-wheel may be secured to the inward end of the hub, all the rest of the parts being the same. 'lherel'ore I do not conline myself rigidly to the specific con struction herein shown and described, but vary the same to suit special requirements, su'ch'as would be cn'iployed by any mechanic skilled in the art to which my invention pertains and without the exercise of any further invention therein.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a wheeled vehicle, a locking device consisting of the combination of two operative units, the first unit secured permanently to the wheel or axle upon which said vehicle travels, and adapted, when properly connected with the second of said units. to comn'iunicate motion to an opcrativcpart thereof,

' a considerable number 1 t I l l wheel secured to said and the second unit, detachably connects with said first unit, and adapted to be discon nected therefrom, said second unit provide with a primary moving part adapted to b directly moved by the. movement of said firs unit, in combination with a more slowly Qmoving secondary element connected there with, and adapted to be moved along a dell nite line of travel, together with a fixed abut mcnt against. which said secondary elemenx shall, after an interval, be arrested, and there by arrest the movement of the primary mov ing part of said second unit, and of the con nected first unit, and so'arrest the travel or said vehicle, substantially as describ d.

2. In combination with the driving wheel and axle of a motor-car, or the like, provided with means for communicating motion to a second and detachable unit, sald second unit consisting of a primary part adapted to be directly moved by the rotation of said wheel, and a secondary part and an abutment, said secondary part receiving a slower motion from said primary part, and operating a-separately-moved part toward said abutment, provided therefor, by which the movement of said more slowly-movingpart shall, after of rotations of said wheel, be arrested, and so limit the travel of, and arrest the rotation of the wheel of said motor-car, substantially as described.

3. A locking device for motor-ears, and the like, consisting of a detachable frame car'- rying an elongated screw-threaded rod, and means for communicating rotary motion thereto, a screw-threaded block adapted thereto, and moved by the rotation thereof, and suitable fixed journals in said frame for the longitudinal bearings of said rod, and an abutment on said frame against which said block will impin e when its limit of travel has been reache together with a toothed screw-rod, and a corresponding toothed wheel on the wheel or axle of said motor-car, said frame adapted to be locked in place, with said toothed wheels. meshed into each other, or moved apart so that said toothed wheels shall be discbnnected from each other, substantially as described.

4. As an article of manufacture a detachable locking device for motor-cars and the like, consisting of a frame carr mg a toothed gear-wheel and a longitudina screw-rod secured thereto and extend in along said framei a screw-nut engaged with t e threads of sai screw-rod, means fol'lpreventing'the rotation said frame laterallyaway, 1. andv means forv said frame, the Whole constructed to o erate substantially as and for the purposes erein shown and described.

5. A freeway locking device for motorcars, and the like, adapted to permit the said car to be moved a definite distance upon its running-gear, without interference, and to then arrest the further movement of said runningear, consisting of a toothed wheel around t e axle of one of the drivin. -wheels of said car, a pivoted frame lateral y movable at one end, and having its free end provided with a toothed wheel adapted to gear in with said opposite toothed Wheel on said axle, or be moved out of contact by moving locking said frame either in or out of gear, said frame provided with an elongated screwrod secured to and rotating with said toothed wheel of said frame, a nut made .to bescrewed along said rod, and prevented by suitable means from rotation. thereupon, abutn'ients for said nut at the ends of said rod, together with a pressure device, adapted to gradually retard the rotation of said rod and said toothed wheels, and the wheels of said motor-cars, said device interposed between said nut and an end of said rod, and adapted to operate by gradually increasing-the pressure directly, orindirectly upon said car-wheel, substantially as, and'for the purposes described.

6. A locking device for wheeled vehicles, consisting of a toothed bevel-wheel surrounding the axle and rigidly rotated with said ve.

hiclewhecl, a frame pivotally secured to a fixed portion of said vehicle, and extending along to the axle thereof, said frame providcd with a toothed bevel-Wheel at its axle end adapted to be detachably meshed into the toothed bevel Wheel of said vehiclewheel, a screw-threaded rod secured to said bevel-wheel on said frame. a screw-nut threaded on said rod, and protected against rotation thereupon, an abutment for said nut at the end of said rod, a handle for laterally moving said frame, in and out of gear with said bevel-wheel on said vehicle-wheel, and an independently-niovable part interposed between said nut and said abutment at one of the ends of said rod, said movable part adapted to be struck by the advance of said nut, and said movable part operatively connected with the brake mechanism, so as to cause the brake to be gradually compressed a ains a brake-cylinder attached to saidvehicle-c'heel, substantially as described.

7. A locking device for motor-cars, and the like consisting of a detachable frame, movably secured to a fixed part of said car, and adapted to be moved to or fro along the driving-wheel axle of said car, said frame provided with a longitudinal screw-threaded rod, a toothed wheel rigidly connected there with, a nut adapted to be screwed along said together with means for securely locking said frame in place with its gear connection either open. or closed, substantially as described.

8. Inconibination with a motor-car, its driving wheel and axle, and means for propelling said car, a toothed gear-wheel upon said wheel and axle, a pivoted and laterallymovable frame, having its free end contiguous to said driving wheel and axle, a toothed gear-wheel on said frame adapted to be detachably connected with the toothed gearwheel of said driving wheel and axle, a screwrod secured to the gearwlieel of said frame, a nut on said rod, means for preventing rotation of said nut, an abutment for said nut at the end of said rod, a guideopening in said frame at its free end constructed to accommodate the axle of said car within the same said frame, adapted to be moved and guided at its free end along said axle, and means for locking said frame with a gear connection between said toothed wheels, or locking them apart when separated from each other, together with a handle for o,- rating said frame substantially as described.

9. A lockingdevice for Wheeled vehicles consisting of a laterally-movable frame carrying a gear-wheel, a screw-rod secured thereto, a screw-nut on said rod, means for perventing rotation of said nut, an abutment at the end of said rod, an independ' en tly-moving part along said. rod, adapted to be engaged and forced. along by the advance of said nut, an operative connection between said moving part, and a friction-brake on said vehicle, together with a gear-Wheel secured to the Wheel of said vehicle, said frame detachably connected With, or disconnected from making a gear connection with said vehiele-wheel, together with means for lockin the gear-wheel of said. frame to the ear-whe of said vehicle-wheel, substantia ly as de scribed.

10. In a locking device for wheeled vehicles consisting of a gear-wheel secured to one of the supporting-wheels thereof, a dctach able frame with slow-motion mechanism, an abutment for the same, and a gear-wheel adapted to be detachably connected with the gear-wheel of said vehicle-Wheel, together with means for locking said gear-wheels together, or apart, a supplementary device for moving said slow-motion mechanism into other, substantially as and for any desired position along said flame While said gear-wheels are disconnected from each the purpose set forth.

11. In combination with a Vehicle-wheel supporting a toothed gear-wheel, a detachable frame supporting a gear-wheel adapted thereto, a screw-rod secured to said latter, a nut on said rod, .means for preventing rotation of said nut, and, an abutment for said nut at the ends of said rod, a supplemental nut-setting gear, and a handle adapted to operate l the same,

the whole so constructed that when said frame is detached from said veiliole-wheel, said rod may be independently rotated by said. supplemental gear and handle,

and said nut screwed along said red to any required position thereupon, substantially as described.

ISAAC W. HEYSINGER.

Witnesses I GEO. W. REED,

ERNEST W. HEYsINenn, 

